Yoga attracts Russian couple to Kinnigoli

Udupi Today Media Network

Kinnigoli, 21 April 2012: A Russian couple has arrived at a village in Mangalore taluk with a desire to learn yoga and meditation. Andrey and Julia are now in Surabhivana, a home for indigenous breed of cows maintained by Om Prakruthi Dhama at Kompadavau village near Niddodi on Kinnigoli-Moodbidri Road. Vivek Shenoy, manager, Surabhivana, said it was a wing of Sri Shakthidarshan Yoagashram, an ashram that teaches yoga, pranayama, and meditation at Kinnigoli.

Mr. Andrey (33) told The Hindu that he was a chemical engineer with a Ph.D. and his wife Julia was a designer. He was from Stavropol and Ms. Julia from Smolensk in Russia. He said they have been learning yoga and meditation at the ashram in Kinnigoli for the past one-and-half months.

He said they wanted to learn kriya yoga. “They visited the ashram at Kinnigoli once a week and practised yoga and meditation at Surabhivana,” Mr. Shenoy said. “Julia has been learning to milk cows since two weeks,” Mr. Andrey said. The couple also did gardening at Komapadavu. “It is a very peaceful place. We enjoy nature and practise spirituality,” he said. Mr. Andrey said that they had brought seeds of 20 varieties of vegetables from Russia. “We were trying to cultivate them here,” he said.